So, the other day I announced the title of Book Two in my post called Life in Another ’Cosm: Jinny from the Blog. While I am not accidentally writing this novel as I did with Life in the ’Cosm, I did accidentally start this story. You see, I had no idea there’d be a second book, let alone a third. My first book was originally just supposed to be a writing exercise, but I became so attached the characters that I decided to have beta readers review it . . . and you know the rest of the story.

What you might not ken is that during the summer of 2015, I created a single blog entry by a teen named Jinny, because I was restless from waiting for reader comments on the first book. I reread the entry, thought it was not so great, and left it for dead. The beta comments came in for Life in the ’Cosm, and I continued on with editing and submitting that work.

Sometime that fall, I looked at the blog entry again, and snickered to myself. It wasn’t that bad after all. So, I messed around with it. Then I had three chapters. Again, I had no idea who the characters would be, or any clue about the plot. I truly don’t plan my stories. I just jump into the swimming pool of life without first checking if there’s water. (I wish that quote were mine, but I heard it in an episode of Perfect Strangers, in the 80s.)

I hoped to finish the manuscript’s first draft by December 31 of this year, but there was no way. Life smashed me upside the head with too many potentially serious health things. I’ve been very distracted. So far, two out of the three health issues have tested fine in the end. One more to go. I’ve found it difficult to concentrate on this book while in Alert Status Red mode for most of 2017.

However, I’m feeling a bit more optimistic now. The manuscript is at 53K+ words, and I’m going back to the beginning to read what I’ve done. Yesterday I went through the first three chapters and laughed to myself a few times. If anything, my books make me laugh. (I was happy to know the first one made others laugh, too. Whew.) I think what I like most about myself is that I choose to be funny. Even if the world is falling around my head, I want to be a humorous author. I’m like that when I’m not writing, so why should my books be any different? Like I’ve said many times: My life is hard science, so I need to go to the whacky place.

What my close friends keep telling me is not to impose rigid deadlines on myself during this season in my life. I get it. I don’t want to accept it, but I will. Health and sanity come first. The good news is that writing calms me, and now that I can concentrate much better, I’m up for tickling the keys of my new laptop.

My goal is to have a beta-reader draft (or, a slightly less ugly second draft) by the spring of 2018, if all goes well. Hopefully, this will happen. If not, it will be later. It’s okay. I’m a spoonie with a disability and chronic illnesses. I know I’m doing my best.

Will keep you posted on my progress!

Cait Gordon is the author of Life in the ’Cosm, a comedic space opera where boy meets girl, but girl doesn’t notice boy because she’s sharing a body with another boy. She is also the creator and editor of the Spoonie Authors Network. You can follow Cait on Facebook and Twitter.